Rube Goldberg #2 Steps & Energy

As you already know if you have read my previous post, we are doing a Rube Goldberg Machine project in class. We have to write down a materials list and a written plan down on paper. We also had to see what energy transfers throughout our project. Here is a list showing my groups steps and the energy between the steps.

Rc car going down a ramp = potential energy ➡kinetic energy

Hitting car thus pulling off the weights = energy transfer = kinetic energy from rc car to plastic car to string. This leads to the weight being pulled off

Since the ball was sitting on a spring board that had potential energy. Then it was kinetic energy when the weights were pulled off.

The ball hits the cup that is balanced on a piece of wood. The cup has potential energy that is then transformed into kinetic energy when the balls knocks the wood out from under and the cup falls.

The pulley which also has kinetic energy is put into action then the books drop on the lever which is now uneven opens the laptop because the higher side is on the side of the laptop.

This may not be very clear and may not be how this project will be when it is done but, I intend to make 2 more posts. One further explaining the process of this Rube Goldberg project ( as in showing pictures of our plans and clearing up what they are, what different designs we have, what we might reconsider, etc.). Another showing a video of our finished product and explaining the changes we had to make.